For All the August Babies

August's birthstone is one of my favorite gems. Peridot is a striking green gemstone that ancient Romans called the Evening Emerald, because its color becomes more intense at twilight. Peridot isn't an expensive stone, so we can all enjoy wearing it--even if we weren't born in August.

The photo here is courtesy of Ron Gibbs at The Image.com. His Web site is an educational resource that includes gemstone and mineral archives and galleries, a faceting tutorial, and digital photography how-to features.